US Senator Ted Cruz pushes for crypto in Congress … Using Snacks

A recently introduced resolution could result in lawmakers purchasing sodas and chips from vending machines that accept cryptocurrency.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz is using food as an incentive to persuade the United States Congress to adopt cryptocurrency within its halls.

Cruz introduced a concurrent resolution on January 25 that would restrict vending machine and food service contractors from accepting cryptocurrency as a payment option within the United States Capitol.

If the proposal is approved, the Architect of the Capitol, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives would be required to locate crypto-accepting food and vending companies.

The text of the resolution was not publicly available on the Congress website at the time of writing. The potential cost of implementing the measure is unknown, as is whether the resolution would require contractors to accept payment in specific cryptocurrencies.

Cruz has long been a vocal supporter of cryptocurrencies, praising Bitcoin in particular for its decentralization. According to financial disclosure, the senator purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of BTC around this time last year.

According to the “Bitcoin Politicians” crowdsourced data project, he is one of only eight known crypto investors in Congress.

Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming senator, is also on the list, as is Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania senator who recently introduced a stablecoin bill aimed at creating a regulatory framework for payments.

Senator Cruz has also expressed a desire to make his home state of Texas a haven for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, claiming that crypto mining could be used to monetize the energy extracted from oil and gas extraction and that the activity could be used as an alternative energy storage method.

Cruz’s resolution will need to be approved by both the Senate and the House before it can be passed.